In a cycle meeting I can tell within a minute which reps prepared.
They are not always the ones with the best numbers. They are the ones who arrive with the best questions. The others arrive with a list of reasons the month was hard, and the meeting becomes a defence.
How I ask reps to prepare:
1. Know your numbers. Against target, against last year, by product. And say which number it is: sell-in or sell-out.
2. Bring three field facts. What doctors said, what pharmacies stock, what competitors did. Each with a place and a date.
3. Bring two questions. Where do you need help, a decision or a resource? This is the step that changes the meeting. Questions invite support. Excuses invite pressure.
4. Commit to one change. One thing you will do differently this cycle. Small, specific and easy to check.
Twenty minutes the evening before is enough.
“Come with questions and you leave with help. Come with excuses and you leave with pressure.”
Lesson 2 of 7 in Step 4: Preparing the visit, with the full guide and a checklist for this week.